Hu Liena Visits, Fifth Round Begins

The final match of the fourth round was between the Shrek Academy and Mystic Crystal Academy. Although Mystic Crystal Academy was quite strong, it was still crushed and defeated by the Shrek Academy's terrifying lineup.

With this, the fourth round of the competition has ended, and the three strongest academies —Spirit Hall Academy, Spirit Jade Academy, and Shrek Academy —have advanced to the fifth round, which is also the final round of the Grand Finals.

Each team has three days to rest and investigate their opponents. After three days, the three teams will compete for the final championship in front of the Pope's Palace.

The Shrek Academy students returned to their hotel to rest and recuperate, and nothing unexpected happened. However, two people arrived at the hotel where Spirit Jade Academy were resting.

After Hu Liena and Xie Yue disguised themselves, they found Ao Yue quietly. The three of them were drinking in a small tavern. Hu Liena's eyes were full of affection. Clearly, Ao Yue's Seven Swords during the day had greatly shocked her.

Ao Yue poured juice for Hu Liena beside him and asked softly, "I know you didn't come here just for the sake of seeing me. Now that you've almost finished eating, just say what you want to say."

Hu Liena rolled her eyes at Ao Yue with a bored expression, then took a sip of her juice before slowly saying, "I'm here to discuss something with you."

"What are you discussing?"

Xie Yue said, "Brother Ao, we and Shrek Academy are now among the top three. I think we can join forces in the finals three days from now."

Ao Yue raised an eyebrow. "How can we join forces?"

Xie Yue said, "Before the team competition, our three teams will have an individual competition together. I think we can work together to target Shrek Academy."

Upon hearing this, Ao Yue frowned slightly and looked at Xie Yue.

Xie Yue continued, "If it's a team competition, we're naturally not afraid, but if it's an individual battle, we might not be able to beat Shrek Academy in a one-on-one fight. As you've probably seen, not to mention the other members of the Shrek Academy, Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun are super geniuses just like us, and they're already at level 55."

"This doesn't even include Oscar and that vice-captain Dugu Yan. If their strength is the same as Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, our chances in a one-on-one fight are slim."

"If we lose in a one-on-one fight, then we'll have to fight a final match to determine the winner before we can challenge Shrek Academy. That's not the outcome we want."

Hearing this, Ao Yue looked at Hu Liena: "You think so too?"

Hu Liena nodded.

Ao Yue smiled and said, "I heard you were going to defeat me personally? You're just going to give up such a good opportunity?"

Hu Liena blushed instantly upon hearing this, knowing that it must have been that bastard Yan who secretly told Ao Yue, but that didn't matter at the moment.

Hu Liena said, "But if we both end up severely injured, wouldn't Shrek Academy benefit from this?"

Ao Yue nodded. "If we look at the worst-case scenario, that's certainly the case, but why do you think we're bound to lose?"

"Although Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun are both level 55, there is a gap between geniuses. I don't take them seriously. I only have one opponent."

Upon hearing Ao Yue's words, Hu Liena and Xie Yue both understood that Ao Yue only had eyes for Oscar, and judging from his previous method of slaying enemies with seven swords, Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun's current performance was indeed inferior to Ao Yue's.

But what if we lose? Ao Yue waved his hand. "I understand your thoughts, but I want to defeat my brother fair and square. If I win by such underhanded means, I will not be at peace with myself, and he may not even acknowledge it."

As he spoke, Ao Yue picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, exuding an inexplicable domineering aura. "I will defeat him personally, defeat Shrek Academy, and use this battle to completely crush his confidence. Only in this way can I have an absolute advantage in inheriting the throne."

Seeing Ao Yue's confident demeanor, Hu Liena and Xie Yue opened their mouths, unsure of what to say.

Before they came, they did think that Ao Yue might not agree, because he was too arrogant.

But this is not the result they wanted.

Ao Yue raised his hand and patted Hu Liena's head. "Don't worry, I'm not acting on impulse."

"Besides, you are all geniuses. If you win in this way, can you really be true to yourselves?"

"Sometimes it is true that we can resort to any means to win, but since this is a battle of geniuses, why don't we use our true strength to win the final victory?"

"True geniuses are never afraid of hardship. Even if we lose in the end, it only means that we didn't try hard enough, right?"

Hearing Ao Yue's words, Hu Liena grasped his hand. "I understand. I will also tell the teacher what you said. Let's pretend we were never here today. Three days later, we will each rely on our own abilities, and the outcome will depend entirely on our own efforts."

Ao Yue smiled and said, "It is someone like you who is worth fighting for with everything I have, even if I lose to Oscar, I will still forge ahead."

Hearing this, Hu Liena blushed, quickly took a sip of juice, and pulled Xie Yue away.

Ao Yue was left alone in the private room. The tender look he had just given her was completely gone. If he really was her brother, she might have joined forces with the Spirit Hall today.

The Shrek Academy students were not afraid in a one-on-one fight, but if Spirit Jade Academy and Spirit Hall Academy joined forces, they might not be able to win.

After all, the Oscar never intended to go easy on them.

With the fourth round of competition over, the Grand Finals are just around the corner. The remaining three teams are only one step away from the final championship. In the eyes of others, the fifth round finals will definitely be a fierce battle.

However, in the final fifth round of the competition, the eliminated teams had already left. They were not even allowed to watch the final day of battle. Only the truly young and strong were qualified to step onto the square in the Pope's Palace.

The bright sunlight shone down on the earth, and under its rays, the Pope's Palace appeared even more magnificent and imposing.

In the Pope's Palace, two rows of Palace Guards lined up from the Pope's Palace to the foot of the mountain, clad in bright silver armor and wielding heavy knightly swords, making the entire Pope Mountain even more majestic and imposing.

Early in the morning, the three teams that had made it to the final three were already waiting quietly in the Pope's Palace. The teachers from the three academies were not allowed to stand in the square and could only wait in the outer viewing area.

All twenty-one finalists stood quietly in the square, waiting for the final moment to arrive.

The square in the Pope's Palace is no smaller than the competition platform used in the previous competition. The square square is paved with special stones, and if you look closely, you can see that the stones have a faint, lustrous sheen.

Although it wasn't real jade, it was far superior to ordinary rocks, demonstrating just how formidable the Spirit Hall's wealth was.

After a long while, a group of people walked out from the side door of the Pope's Palace. A total of twenty-four cardinals, whose status was second only to the Platinum Bishop, slowly walked over. They walked all the way to the front of the Pope's Palace and stood on the left and right, twelve people on each side.

The leader announced loudly, "His Holiness the Pope has arrived."

At that moment, shouts of "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" resounded throughout the entire Spirit City like a landslide and a tsunami.

That wasn't just the voice of the neatly arranged Palace Guards on Pope Mountain; it was also the shout of all the Soul Master in the entire Spirit City who were forbidden from approaching Pope Mountain. For them, the Pope of the Spirit Hall was the highest faith! The huge palace gate slowly opened, and everyone's eyes unconsciously focused on the direction in which the gate opened.

Bibi Dong, dressed in a long, gleaming gold gown that covered her from head to toe, wearing a purple-gold crown and holding a scepter, walked out of the Pope's Palace with a solemn expression.

She had an ethereal quality, seemingly infinitely tall, and no one even noticed her stunning beauty. At this moment, she represented only the majesty of the Pope of the Spirit Hall.

The long, shimmering gold dress fit her perfectly, its dazzling brilliance adorned with over a hundred red, blue, and gold gemstones. The purple-gold crown atop her head shone with unparalleled radiance, and all the light seemed to converge upon her alone at this moment.

When Oscar read the original novel, he thought Bibi Dong was a crazy, yandere woman, and on top of that, she was totally obsessed with romance...

What surprised Oscar the most was a man in plain clothes next to Bibi Dong, with a buzz cut. Who else could it be but Yu Xiaogang? When Tang San, who was next to Oscar, saw Yu Xiaogang, he froze on the spot. He had originally had a little bit of hope, but now that he saw this scene, even that last bit of hope was gone.

Besides Yu Xiaogang, he couldn't find anyone else to assassinate him back then.

Just as Oscar was lost in thought, all the members of the Spirit Hall knelt down on one knee. "Greetings, Your His Holiness the Pope."

The atmosphere at that moment was indescribable; amidst the shouts coming from all directions, everyone couldn't help but feel a desire to prostrate themselves in worship.

Four other people followed behind Bibi Dong.

Three of them wore bright red robes, but unlike the cardinals' all-red robes, their red robes were inlaid with gold and silver patterns. In particular, the jewel on their chest, which shone with gold and was the size of a baby's fist, was full of luxury.

For ordinary people, this formal attire may simply symbolize nobility, but for Soul Master, it represents the greatest honor.

Because only Titled Douluo are qualified to wear this red dress, these three people clearly have that status.

Oscar, one of the three Titled Douluo, was someone they knew all too well; this person was none other than Chen Xin.

Of the other two, the one on the left had an ethereal aura surrounding him, and although he wore the same clothes, no one could clearly see his features.

As for the other one, his skin looked as delicate as a baby's, and his alluring appearance gave people a special feeling. If it weren't for the Adam's apple on his neck, no one would think that he was actually a man.

These two are none other than Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo, who went to assassinate Tang San before the start of the Grand Finals, and are now the two generals under Pope Bibi Dong.

The fourth person following Bibi Dong did not wear the formal attire that signifies the honor of Titled Douluo, clearly indicating that he did not possess the strength of Titled Douluo. However, he still walked out of this door, which means that he has another identity.

The Spirit Hall elder, or more accurately, the honorary elder, was none other than Ning Fengzhi, the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

After someone shouted "Greetings, Your His Holiness the Pope," all seven members of the Spirit Hall Academy knelt down.

Oscar didn't stand still like Tang San did in the original story. After all, no matter what kind of person Bibi Dong is, her current status is what it is. Only a brainless person would openly disrespect her.

Led by Oscar, Tang San did not follow the original story, and the fourteen students from the Shrek Academy and Spirit Jade Academy also knelt on one knee to show their respect for His Holiness the Pope.

The only exception was Xiao Wu, whose gaze towards Bibi Dong concealed hatred. However, having followed Oscar for so long, she had learned to hide it, and the hatred only flashed by.

Bibi Dong's gaze swept over Oscar and Tang San, her expression unchanged. She waved her scepter slightly and said nothing more, simply saying, "Rise."

Bibi Dong finished speaking, all those who had been kneeling on the ground stood up and looked at their His Holiness the Pope with fervent eyes.

A smile appeared on Bibi Dong's face as she scanned the twenty-one young Soul Master were participating in the final three from left to right.

"I see hope in you. Pope's Palace, I hope to see all your talents and strength. The final victor will receive the greatest reward from the Spirit Hall." As she spoke, she lightly waved her scepter.

As she moved, the three points of light instantly magnified in front of Bibi Dong, floating in mid-air.

Those were three different objects, none of them large, shaped like skeletons: a Right Arm Bone, a skull, and a Left Leg Bone, each shimmering with fiery red, pale blue, and dark green light respectively.

Spirit Bone, and three Spirit Bones at that.

Even at the Pope Mountain, the light of the three Spirit Bones could be clearly seen, and in an instant, the entire Spirit City was in an uproar.

Aside from those who already knew about the final reward, who could have imagined it would be three Spirit Bones? The radiance alone revealed that these three Spirit Bones were of extraordinary quality, and even the members of the Spirit Hall couldn't help but gleam with greed in their eyes.

If this weren't the Pope's Palace, and if it weren't for the presence of several Titled Douluo, someone would probably have already been unable to suppress their greed and rushed up to snatch it.

These are Spirit Bone! They are the most precious things for Soul Master, something that can only be encountered by chance and is extremely rare. These three Spirit Bones are clearly from Soul Beast that are over ten thousand years old.

Standing behind the Pope, Ghost Douluo spoke in a deep, Gui Mei voice. "The three Spirit Bones are the Spirit Gathering Wisdom Skull, the Explosive Burning Flame Arm, and the Swift Wind Chasing Left Leg. All three Spirit Bone come from Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."

"Among them, the Spirit Gathering Wisdom Skull came from a Soul Beast that was over 50,000 years old. It was personally killed and obtained by the previous His Holiness the Pope. It is the best of the Spirit Bone, second only to External Soul Bone and top-level Spirit Bone produced by Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."

After Ghost Douluo, Pope Bibi Dong said calmly, "There can only be one winner, and the same goes for the champion. Therefore, these three Spirit Bones will belong to the final champion team. I hope that the three academies that have entered the top three will give their all and win this honor."

No matter what level of Soul Master were, no one could resist the sight of Spirit Bone, let alone three. A strong fighting spirit surged forth from all twenty-one participating Soul Master almost instantly.

Even Oscar coveted these three Spirit Bones, since even if he didn't use them himself, he could give them to his friends.

Moreover, if it weren't for these three Spirit Bones, he wouldn't have been interested in participating in this so-called competition, even though it was just an avatar that came.

Bibi Dong continued, "This morning, each of your three teams will have an individual elimination tournament with seven players. The team that remains will have an advantage and will directly enter the championship battle tomorrow. The two losing teams will compete for the other final spot in the afternoon. Now, you can send out your first player."

With Bibi Dong's personal announcement, the fifth round of the Grand Finals began.

The first match of the fifth round was an individual elimination match, just like the Promotion Match, but this time all three teams participated. Although it wasn't the final championship match, it was still very important.

Winning not only means getting more rest time, but also means being able to conserve energy for tomorrow's decisive battle.

The two losing teams will have a team match in the afternoon to determine the team that won the second day and this morning, and then compete in the final match.

At the level of the top three, the difference in strength between the players is not that great. Playing consecutive matches in one day will undoubtedly take a huge toll and may even lead to injuries.

With the final match tomorrow, it's almost impossible to recover to peak condition. Therefore, the team that wins the individual competition below is very likely to be the final champion.

The Spirit Hall has brought out three Spirit Bones will undoubtedly make the competition more intense. Although on the surface the Spirit Hall seems to be selfless, anyone with discerning eyes can see that these three Spirit Bones are actually prepared for the Spirit Hall Academy Team.

Therefore, this individual Promotion Match is particularly important. It not only brings honor to the team, but also allows these talented Soul Master to showcase their strength and talent in front of the Spirit Hall's higher-ups and the Pope.

If someone can be valued by the elders of the Spirit Hall, it is undoubtedly a great honor that can be achieved in one step.

A row of gilded chairs was placed in front of the Pope's Palace. At Pope Bibi Dong's signal, she sat in the center. To her left sat Ning Fengzhi from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Sword Douluo Chen Xin, and to her right sat Ghost Douluo Gui Mei and Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan.

However, there was one person who was quite special: Yu Xiaogang. He was not dressed in luxurious clothes, but he still sat next to Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan.

Or rather, all the powerful figures present could see that Yu Xiaogang was merely a Soul Master at the Soul Elder level, yet he could sit with these top-tier beings, which was enough to prove his extraordinary status.

Tang San silently stared at Yu Xiaogang. The last bit of master-disciple affection in his heart had vanished. Since the other party had the intention to kill him, he would naturally repay him a hundredfold.

Yu Xiaogang simply watched the three academies on the field calmly, as if the assassination attempt had nothing to do with him. His gaze also lingered on Tang San, but when he noticed Tang San's cold eyes, Yu Xiaogang immediately looked away.

It's worth mentioning that Shrek Academy's personnel have changed again. Tai Long from level 41 and Ning Rongrong from level 46 are no longer there. They have been replaced by Captain Oscar and Vice Captain Dugu Yan.

This discovery made the seven members of the Spirit Hall Team focus their attention, because they already knew a little about Oscar because of Ao Yue.

However, Oscar had never appeared before today. Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun alone had already reached a terrifying level of 55. I wonder what kind of strength Oscar, the captain, and Dugu Yan, the vice-captain, would have?

P. S.: Typos will be corrected first and then fixed later.